if there was a super bowl for baked goods, these would win.

over the last week, my fridge was re-stocked with some non-vegan food. for a couple of days, i was subsisting entirely on scrambled eggs and jell-o chocolate pudding. delicious, of course, and definitely NOT tired of that... nope, not at all.

but in an effort to hop back on the vegan train, i cleaned out my fridge once again, and found myself left with 2 eggs and a stick of butter. something kept me from throwing them out, and then this magazine cover sitting on my coffee table caught my eye:

(via)

what better way to get rid of those eggs and butter than to give the Best-Ever Brownies a shot? i mean, what else is there to make with those two ingredients? besides, i'm heading off to a super bowl party tonight, which means that i can donate these to the cause and ensure i don't eat the whole pan.

so here's the thing. i'm not one prone to hyperbole, but O.M.G. omg. so good. SO GOOD. put these on your to-make list STAT.

Cocoa Brownies with Browned Butter and Walnuts (from Epicurious.com)

ingredients:

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 1/4 cups sugar

3/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder (spooned into cup to measure, then leveled)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs, chilled

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon unbleached all purpose flour

1 cup walnut pieces

Position rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 325°F. Line 8 x 8 x 2-inch metal baking pan with foil, pressing foil firmly against pan sides and leaving 2-inch overhang. Coat foil with nonstick spray. Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking until butter stops foaming and browned bits form at bottom of pan, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; immediately add sugar, cocoa, 2 teaspoons water, vanilla, and 1⁄4 teaspoon (generous) salt. Stir to blend. Let cool 5 minutes (mixture will still be hot). Add eggs to hot mixture 1 at a time, beating vigorously to blend after each addition. When mixture looks thick and shiny, add flour and stir until blended. Beat vigorously 60 strokes. Stir in nuts. Transfer batter to prepared pan.

Bake brownies until toothpick inserted into center comes out almost clean (with a few moist crumbs attached), about 25 minutes. Cool in pan on rack. Using foil overhang, lift brownies from pan. Cut into 4 strips. Cut each strip crosswise into 4 brownies. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.